For Your Consideration
Some Facts: [via google]
1521 - Mesoamerica taken, by war, from Aztecs by Spanish [Hernan Cortez] aided by ‘indigenous’ tribes tired of cruel Azetc rule/taxation/slavery… creating Nueva Expana.
1535 - formal Spanish govt. est.1803 - Louisiana Purchase
1808 - Napoleon invaded Spain and plopped in his brother, Jose Bonaparte, as king of Spain. In Sept 1810 revolution from Spain started in Mexico.
begun in 1819, ratified in 1831 - Transcontinental Treaty signed by US & Spain/Mexico granted CA to Spain
1821 - Mexico’s Independence from Spain.
1845 - President Jas. Polk offered to buy CA and NM from Mexico for $3 million. Mexico declined this and several similar offers.
1846 - Bear Flag Republic, first rebellion against Mexican rule. [19 days] Also, beginning of Mexican/American War.
Jan 1847 - Cahuenga Capitulation ended hostilities in CA
1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended Mexican/American War [after US troops took Mexico City. US paid $15 million to Mexico for territories] This, understandably, did not sit well with Mexicans who owned property in what became US Territories.
1849 - Gold! At Sutter’s Creek. Beginning of Yerba Buena to San Francisco transition, industry, population explosion, agriculture… The overwhelming numbers of Anglos coming to CA reduced the Spanish speaking population from 15% in 1850 to 4% in 1870.
Some Opinion:
Won in war? You betcha. Stolen? Hardly.
So… Spain made war on the Aztecs, won the whole area. 300 years pass, leaves fall from the calendar, the area of CA remains completely unexplored with the exception of the Missions and El Camino Real. America takes over CA and, in a century, creates one of the top 10 economic powers in the world.
yeahyeahyeah, I know… “You bastards!”
Not only that, but the Mexicans who moved north and were ruling California did it for the autonomy and to escape Mexican Government control, and called themselves Californios - not Aztlanos, or even Mexicans.
Posted by -keith in mtn. view on 05/12/05 at 08:12 AM
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